Love of a Stranger
by Keladry Thompson
Summary: A stranger without memories of her past is found wandering near Rivendell. She discovers her powers and joins the Fellowship. But what will happen when she attracts the attentions of the heir to the throne of Gondor and the prince of Mirkwood?
1. What is this place?

**Note: Alright so this is my first story on FanFiction so here it goes. Sorry it's so short but I felt it's an interesting intro to the story. Please review. Any possible ideas and/or critisism is welcome.**

**Disclaimer: No I don't in any way, shape, or form own the characters and places or the languages found in this besides Kat and some other minor characters.**

**Bold is translation for those non-elvish speaking readers.**

_Italics are thoughts._

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_Ugh what happened? _Thought Kat as she flickered her eyes open. The sun was bleached green as it hit her face through the leafy canopy._ Wait, leafy canopy?_

Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. She looked around at her surroundings. She was in a forest glade, with a small stream trickling slowly by. Birds sang in the trees and a breeze rustled the leaves of the overhanging branches.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened. She remembered being on her motorcycle heading for her boyfriends apartment... the tractor trailer pulling out in front of her... and the crash. _Oh damn_, she thought, _am I dead? _She inspected her body and there were no signs of any injury. She remembered clearly thinking in the seconds before the impact that she was going to die but here she was, in all appearances alive and well, just slightly disoriented.

_Where am I? _Groaning, she stood up and continued looking around. Her thoughts buzzed in her head at a mile a minute. Suddenly she heard rustling in the bushes behind her. She turned and saw a tall pale man walking towards her. He was dressed strangely in a tunic and leggings and had long blonde braided hair. Then Kat realized something else: he had pointed ears.

"Man eneth lín? O man dôr túliel le?" **(What is your name? From what land are you from?) **He spoke.

"Uhhhh... what?"

"Ahh you speak the common tongue. I am sorry. Who are you and where are you from?"

"My name is Kat... and I'm from Montana... where... where am I? And who are you? And what are you?"

"You are in the woods nearby to Rivendell, where my Lord Elrond keeps council. I am Beriogelir. Come Lady Kat, you look tired. I shall bring you to my lord and he shall decide what to do." He smiled, the first sign of ease the ellon had shown.

"I don't know about 'Lady' but ok" _What the hell have I gotten into?_

They traveled for a short time and reached a large area near a waterfall. Many people...elves... walked along paths carved into cliffs. They walked along these paths to a large pavilion set high in the cliffs. An elf stood looking out at the city below. At the sound of their steps he turned and started. He first looked at Kat and then Beriogelir, who bowed and said "My Lord Elrond, I found this echil a mile from here. This is the Lady Kat and she is from..." Here the ellon stopped and looked at Kat questioningly.

"Montana." She replied with a smile

"Yes. Montana. I have never heard of the place but thought you would know and would wish to speak with her."

"Thank you Beriogelir. You have done well. You may leave us." Spoke Lord Elrond without a smile.

"Yes mi'lord." Once again the tall ellon bowed. He turned to Kat and said "Navaer. May we meet again soon Lady Kat."

"Ummm navaer to you as well." Beriogelir took her hand and kissed it gently and walked out of the room.

Elrond walked towards her. "Now," he said slowly, "We can talk about you, Lady Kat."


	2. Misadventures with dresses

**Chapter 1**

"So..." Lord Elrond spoke while slowly circling Kat. "So Valar has sent another. I see. Well, let us get you ready. You are here for a reason though you may not know it. In time all shall be revealed. Right now you are in dire need of a hot bath, clean clothes, and food."

Kat opened her mouth to protest and ask for explanation but the tall elf continued. "You shall join us for a feast tonight. The representatives of the races have arrived today and tomorrow the council shall convene. You shall also join them for this secret council. Meet with me after the feast. Gandalf and I shall explain. Manwathiel shall show you to your rooms and help you bathe and dress."

"Hold up. So that's it? I just found out that I'm in frickin' elf-land and all you say is go to this feast? I'm dreaming. That's the only logical explanation. There's no... no way..." Kat started to break down into tears. _Who does he think he is? I don't know where I am or how I got here or what happened to me and all he says is come back later. He thinks he knows me. He doesn't... he doesn't..._

"Compose yourself. You need rest and food. And yes, this is Rivendell, last homely house of the elves. At the feast you will meet many new peoples. We've seen people like you before and they were just as confused. But that is for later. For now you must go with Manwathiel." Kat hadn't noticed the elleth enter and she walked forward now.

"Mae govannen Hiril Kat." Her voice was sympathetic. "Come now, calm. Breathe. It's ok. Let us go to your rooms."

"Tha..tha..thank you. Please just call me Kat."

She smiled down at the shivering and sobbing girl and gently took her arm and led her out of the room. They walked down the passages, passing more elves than Kat could count. All of them stared as the interesting pair walked along. Kat stared back equally as much. Eventually they reached her rooms and Manwathiel closed the door, hiding the quivering human from the prying eyes of the elven folk.

Without a word the elleth went to the washroom connected to the main room and drew the bath. She kept a careful eye on the girl sitting on a wrought iron bench, making sure she didn't try to run away like so many of the ones sent by Valar. When the bath was filled, she walked over to the lifeless girl who didn't resist as Manwathiel gently undressed her and helped her into the deep tub. She gave Kat soap and a cloth to clean herself and took her hair and began to massage her head with a shampoo that smelled like lavender. The two didn't speak and Manwathiel didn't try. She knew the troubled look on Kat's face meant she was deep in thought.

Kat's mind raced. _Why can't I remember anything besides the crash? Am I dead? Is this heaven? Or hell? I don't know. I just don't know. This place is sooo strange and what's with the elves? And Elrond. He knows all of it and won't tell me. I don't get it._

She emerged from the bath with a clearer mind. The time that had passed had worn away a great deal of the shock. She dried herself off and looked for her favorite jeans and lime green t-shirt. They were nowhere to be found. Instead she saw a forest green floor-length dress with a matching beaded corset lying across the bed. She groaned and spoke to Manwathiel for the second time that day.

"There is no way I'm wearing that."

"But Miss Kat... you must."

"Why can't I wear my jeans... I mean my pants...leggings...whatever you want to call them" she corrected herself as she saw the confusion on the elleth's face.

"Women don't wear leggings here. You must be from a very different place if you were allowed to go out in … jeans?"

"More different than you can imagine" muttered Kat.

"Alright Miss. We must get you ready before the feast begins. We can't have you be late."

Kat eyed the corset suspiciously. "I know what that thing does to your breathing. Do you want me to suffocate?"

Manwathiel laughed, a sound that reminded Kat of songbirds singing. "It won't, don't worry Miss. Now come here and hold onto this post and suck in your breath while I pull..."


	3. Strange happenings at dinner

**OK so thanks everyone for reading this. I got a lot more veiws than I thought I would in the first day. My friend encouraged me to continue writing tonight so here's another chapter. Again please review. I have a basic idea of how this is all going to play out but your advice and critisism is always welcome.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song Invisible by Disciple. It really is a good song and if you get the chance listen to it. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Manwathiel gave Kat the instructions to get to the Great Hall rather than taking her herself. Kat asked her why she wouldn't and Manwathiel gave the shy excuse that all of the nobility made her nervous and she had to clean up anyways. Sighing, Kat exited the room and hurried to the Great Hall. In her haste she tripped over the hem of her dress and stumbled into the arms of a man going in the opposite direction.

"Whoa there. Where are you off to in such a hurry?" A deep voice spoke to Kat and she looked up into deep hazel eyes. His face was shaven and his hair was shoulder length. He steadied her and took his hands off of her waist.

_Funny. He doesn't look like an elf._ Her suspicions were reaffirmed as she looked at his ears and saw rounded tips rather than the sharp points of the elves.

"You're human." She said bluntly. The stranger laughed.

"Yes and so are you." He replied cheerily smiling at her. "You must be our new guest sent by Valar. Lord Elrond just sent me to escort you to the Great Hall. Kat is it?"

"Yes, sir. Who are you?"

"Please no sirs. I can't stand it when people call me that. And my name is Aragorn, son of Arathorn although some know me as Strider. And let us hurry. The feast will start without us if we don't get there soon. If I may?" He asked politely offering his arm to her.

"Thank you, Aragorn. And nice to meet you. I'm sorry for almost running you over. I'm not used to these dresses." Again he laughed and smiled as he lead her down twisting passageways and through starlit courtyards.

"Right. You aren't from around here. Elrond said something about that although he always makes sure to hide something from me. Damn frustrating elves can be some days. Always with their mysterious ways."

_Wow. He really seems to understand how I feel. It's as if he can read my thoughts._

"Actually I can, sometimes. But that's another story for another day. I do hope that I will talk to you again soon. Ahh here we are. The Great Hall. Thank you for allowing me to escort you Lady Kat. It was a pleasure." He lead her just outside an archway leading into a large open ballroom. He bowed to her and kissed her hand tenderly.

"The pleasure was mine. And thank you for catching me earlier. And it's just Kat. I'm no lady."

"Ahh but I believe you are Kat. And you're very welcome. Farewell for now." He strode off into the hall, leaving her standing at the entrance alone.

_Well then, here it goes._ She took a deep breath and walked into the Great Hall with every ounce of grace and poise she could muster and felt every eye turn on her at once. Silence fell over the hall. She looked around. A blazing fire roared in the hearth to her right and she looked up to see that there was no ceiling but an open space where the stars glittered far above. Surrounding the pavilion were rows of tables with every shape and size person imaginable from short, stout men with long beards and axes to the tall, graceful elves with their glowing pale skin. She saw the face of Aragorn who winked at her and smiled. He was seated next to Lord Elrond who rose from his chair.

"Greetings, Lady Kat." He spoke loudly and his voice echoed through the hall. "If you would come sit over here we may begin." He gestured to the open seat to his left. She made her way over to the head table and felt every eye trace her movements. She carefully sat down between Elrond and a short little creature with curly hair and no shoes. He looked up at her with a grin stretched from ear to ear.

He leaned over to her as she sat and said "Thank you for coming Lady. Now we can eat. I haven't had anything since dinner and that was two hours ago. I'm famished." Kat giggled at this and covered her mouth delicately with her hand.

The meal began and went without incident. The creature sitting next to her was a hobbit from the Shire named Pippin Took. He had a curious sense of humor and when combined with his other hobbit friend, Merry Brandybuck, became even more boisterous. They managed to get her mind off the curious case of Aragorn and his apparent ability to read minds. At one point the two of them jumped up onto the table, linked arms, stomped out a rhythm, and began singing a drinking song about a tavern back in the Shire. Kat found herself laughing and clapping along as well and after a few verses began singing along to the chorus. When they finally stopped and the final applause died down, Lord Elrond spoke once again, loudly addressing her.

"Lady Kat what a remarkably clear voice you have. Would you care to grace our humble hall with a song?" His voice made it seem like more of a command than a request.

"Ummm of course my Lord Elrond." She stood and cleared her throat.

_Dear God what can I sing? I don't know any songs like that. All I know are my rock... wait I remember something! I used to listen to rock music! Finally some memories. A song, a song... ha I have it._

She cleared her throat once more and announced "This song is written by one of my favorite bands... uhh I mean group of musicians. Its called Invisible."

You've got my attention

There's no need to hurt yourself this way

You think no one will notice

How you're feeling when you cry yourself to sleep

You feel stuck on the outside, looking inside

Wishing this life wasn't your life

And you think you're damaged way beyond repair

Well you're not so far that I can't get to where you are

You wish you were someone else

Every night you fall to pieces

Knowing you can't save yourself

I can see you, I can hear you

There's a place where the broken go

There's a room full of second chances

Not stranded on your own

You're not invisible

With that she ended the song as memories rushed back into her head. Memories of a friend, of dark nights, of tears, and a knife... She collapsed to the ground. Aragorn quickly leaped out of his chair and rushed over to her. He held her in his arms as she stared off blankly into space. Thoughts rushed through her head and as quickly as the stream of memories came, it stopped. Kat stopped quivering and Aragorn helped her sit up. He looked into her eyes and she knew that he had seen and felt what she had. She slowly rose with his help and sat back down. All eyes were on her and she blushed, going from the palest of pale to bright red in a matter of seconds. Elrond coughed and disrupted the growing silence.

"Thank you for that, Lady Kat. Your voice is true and the song was lovely. Now let us continue with the ball portion of the evening. If you would be so kind..." He gestured at the musicians in the corner and they struck up in song.


	4. Playing with fire

**OK so thanks everyone for continuing reading this. Please review. I hate seeming like a broken record but I really would like feedback and ideas. Even anonymous ones. Please? Thanks. Enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Slowly, people began to get up and clump together in the courtyards. They just talked and some people danced. _Just like high school. Minus the grinding and making out. _Kat got up from her seat and uncomfortably walked over to the fire, under the pretense that she was cold when asked by Elrond as to where she was going. She stared at the flickering tounges of flame as the danced around the hearth. People were talking in the background but she didn't hear. Only her thoughts remained. She questioned the memories she had received. _I don't get it. What do any of those have in common? A friend, a dark night, tears, a knife... oh... Sudden realization flooded over her. Oh god...I was depressed and..._

Her reverie was disturbed by a touch on her upper arm. She whirled around and for the second time that night, lost her balance and fell. Once again she was caught but looking up this time she only saw grey eyes.

"Careful, Lady Kat. We wouldn't wish for you to fall in the fire now would we?" The smooth voice of an elf carried down to her ears. She looked up and a pair of eyes the color of a stormy sea stared back at her.

"Thank you. Umm... who.. are you exactly?" Kat questioned.

"Legolas from the Woodland Realm."

"Uhh sure. Ok." _I'll pretend to know where that is._

"I was wondering if I may have this dance." Kat realized a slow dance started as Legolas politely bowed and held out his hand. She fumbled through a curtsy in an attempt to seem elegant, but once again fell. _What is it with my balance today? _Legolas steadied her and a faint smile came onto his face, the first sign of emotion she had seen from the elf. "I'll take that as a yes." he said, leading her into the center of the courtyard. He placed his hand on her waist and they danced in circles for a a few awkward moments until he spoke again.

"You look lovely, Lady Kat."

"Oh thanks I guess. And please just Kat."

"How are you enjoying Rivendell?"

"Uhh well I haven't really been here that long... I kinda just got here today..."

A look of surprise flashed on his face. "Oh." The elf was taken aback by this. "I was not aware. Where are you from then and what is your reason for visiting?"

"Well that's a rather long story there..." Kat wasn't sure whether or not she should explain. Elrond was shooting her side glances every few seconds and watching her. _Dear god, supervision. _"I don't even really know. Lord Elrond has yet to explain. Something to do with being sent by Valar or something along those lines."

"Ohh. You're one of the sent. I understand now."

"Please explain. I am clueless and I am so damn tired of everyone knowing except for me!" Her voice became angry and the elf stiffened.

"I wish I could explain. But that is for Lord Elrond to say. And the song is over. It was a pleasure." He turned and walked away gracefully to a group of other elves.

Kat turned and walked until the echoing voices of the party faded to a murmur. She walked onto a balcony overlooking the valley. In the moonlight the city had an eerie look, with only the smallest of lights in windows and not a single person in sight. She sighed and closed her eyes. _I need to know. Why won't anyone tell me anything? I'm not a child. I can know. It's my life and they act like they know me. They don't. They've only just me me. Who are they to decide what I can and can't know?_

Her anger grew and she began to feel hot. _They can just tell me. It's so simple and no one will do it. It's just a 'This is how you got here and this is why you're here' explanation. It's that simple. What's so hard about that?_ Her eyes flashed open as a sudden light shone. She twirled around but no bright lights were around her. The light kept going. She looked down and gasped. Her hands were engulfed in flames but she felt no pain. Her flesh was unchanged as was her dress. The rail her hands had rested on were scorched and blackened. She held her hands up in shock. _Oh my god... what's happening? Calm down just calm down. Oh god what's wrong with me? _

She breathed deeply and her anger and shock faded, as did the flames dancing on her palms. _Hmm... I wonder... _She thought about the fire and a small flame appeared on her palm. As soon as she stopped thinking about it, it disappeared. She spent another ten minutes experimenting with this until she saw groups of people heading away from the party. _It must be over. I have to find Elrond. _She hiked up her skirts and ran as fast as she could to his office.


	5. Finally things are explained

**Chapter 4**

Kat sat impatiently in her chair. Elrond had yet to return to his study after the feast. He was no doubt settling some argument between the drunken dwarves. They had been getting rowdy before she had left the feast and guessed that there would be some trouble. She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself but was restrained by the corset. _Damn thing won't let me breathe. God I hate this thing. Must ask for guys clothes. This won't work._ She tried closing her eyes and meditating but her calm was disturbed by her thoughts racing through her head._ OK this isn't happening. _She gave up and began pacing the room, passing a small ball of flame between her two palms.

"My word." A gravely voice said behind her. She quickly extinguished the flame and turned around. An old man in gray-blue robes and a tall matching hat with a long gray beard stood in the doorway. "I see you've found out your new ability. Although I must say I'm surprised you have so soon. Usually it takes a few days. And pyrokinesis, that's a new one."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Kat was taken aback that another stranger knew more about her than she did.

"My name is Gandalf the Gray." _What is with all of these titles? Can't they just be Gandalf or whatever? _"And I am a close friend of Lord Elrond. I was like you once."

"Wait what? You're not from here? Like this place? Middle Earth?"

"No although I've certainly been here long enough for most to believe that. I was sent here by Valar over two-thousand years ago.

"Two-thousand years..." Kat's voice slowly faded off.

At that moment Elrond walked in. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The dwarves were quarreling amongst themselves and it got violent." _Well whatdaya know? I was right._ "Ahh Gandalf you're here. Thank you for joining us. Now we can explain. Please sit, both of you." Elrond walked over and began pacing behind his desk.

"There have been many people like you before. Found wandering in the woods with no memories at all. Sent by Valar or so it would seem." He paused and looked at Kat to see any reaction. She stared back, eager to hear more. "With time their memories came back. Rather like an amnesiac. When in familiar positions with similar emotions, certain memories reemerge. We found that people like you are from a place called Earth. You probably remember that as it's one of the most basic things. Another memory common to all is usually a violent one. Usually they see themselves dying in one way or another. I'm guessing you've seen that?" He looked at her once again.

Kat nodded silently. _So I am dead. Then why am I here?_

"Again I'm assuming the incident tonight after your song was also a relapse of memories. Whether you wish to share that with anyone or not it is your choice. As to why you are here, well that is more difficult to say. People like you have gone on to do great things. Gandalf for example has trained and became a great wizard. Aragorn was adopted by Arathorn, who lacked an heir. Now he is Isildur's heir to the throne of Gondor."

_Aragorn is like me? From Earth? Then he must understand! That's why he was so kind to me._

Elrond continued. "While here in all appearances you are human. Yet we've seen that your lifespan and process of aging slows and you become almost elf-like in that respect. Soon you will also find abilities that you didn't have in your past life. Usually this happens in a matter of days.."

Gandalf spoke "If I may interrupt, but Kat has already discovered her new ability."

Elrond was startled "Is that so? May I inquire as to the nature of this power?"

Kat did not respond but instead held out her hand and an orb of fire appeared. Elrond stared for a minute, then shook his head.

"I see. You have developed your ability much sooner than most. Strange. You have been sent to us on the brink of what is going to be the battle for Middle Earth. We are threatened by an evil power which lurks within this very valley. It takes the form of the One Ring. Bound in it is the power to destroy all Middle Earth when in the hands of Sauron. You must play a part in this or else you would not have been sent this close to it. There is a secret council that will meet tomorrow. You will come to that and we shall see what you must do."

Kat again nodded silently, taking in all that he had said.

"You may return to your chambers. I shall send someone to find you in the morning for the council."

"Come Lady Kat" Gandalf spoke "Let me take you back to your rooms." He gently took her arm and led her away.


	6. Memories are complicated things

Ok thanks to everyone who's been reading this. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been rather distracted to say the least. Hope you like the chapter. As always please review. Any criticism as well as compliments are appreciated.

P.S. I felt I should mention this before the next few chapters. I'm just pretending that Arwen kinda doesn't really exist much in Aragorn's regard for the purposes of this story.

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Kat woke up the next day and sat up, confused as to where she was. Then she remembered. She sighed and fell back on her bed. _What a night that was. So much to think about. And another exciting day ahead of me too. What do I have to do today hmmm... get my hands on some actual clothes that I can breathe in, go to a secret council meeting, play with fire.. haha I crack myself up... and maybe talk to Aragorn... that would be nice. I wouldn't mind that at all. _She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, picturing his deep hazel eyes and his hands on her waist. Suddenly another image came to her face. She was in a large room, surrounded by other people, couples, all slow dancing in each others arms. She looked down and saw herself in a floor length, strapless black dress and a purple corsage on her wrist. A look forward brought to her vision a tall boy with curly light brown hair and deep soul-piercing brown eyes. They spun around the room without a word staring into each others eyes as music played. He leaned forward and kissed her, then whispered three simple words in her ear. "I love you." She sat bolt upright in bed. _Oh god. I have a boyfriend. Why am I thinking about Aragorn? Dear god I am so stupid!... _Another thought came to mind._ Wait...if I'm dead then it doesn't matter. There's no way I can go back. He's probably mourning me or at my funeral right now or something. Ok how 'bout I just lay off the boys a bit. I suppose dying kinda counts as breaking up. I should be upset. If only I could remember more about him. Then this would be easier. Or harder. Not really sure which right now. Ok moving on... let's get up and see this council thing._

Before she could even pull off the blankets a knock sounded at the door. "Miss Kat? It's me." A now familiar voice floated to her ears. Kat quickly jumped out of the bed and skipped over to the door and opened it, seeing a smiling Manwathiel holding a bundle of clothes and a basket of flowers. "I brought you flowers, Miss. I thought they might cheer you up after yesterdays events."

"Thank you so much! They're so pretty!" I gushed over the flowers for a moment, picking up a small white one and smelling it until the bundle of clothes caught my eye. "Are those... actual clothes?"

Manwathiel laughed softly. "If by actual clothes you mean not a dress then yes. I brought you the smallest men's clothes I could find. They might be too big but once you try them on I can hem them for you and get some more."

"Thank you! You have no idea how happy I am that I don't have to squeeze into that tiny corset again. I hate formal dresses so much. This will be much easier to get around in." Kat picked up the bundle and laid it out on the bed. There was a plain shirt that had a sort of V-neck which surprised her seeing as it was supposed to be for a man, a leather belt to cinch the shirt around her waist, supple leather pants that had lacing down the sides to adjust the fit, and a pair of knee high boots that had soft soles. _Well this isn't jeans and Converse but it'll work just fine._

"I thought you would like that, Miss. I also bring a message from Lord Elrond. He wishes you to join with him in the courtyard where the feast was held at noon . He says that at that time he shall show you around Rivendell." _More like show me to a secret meeting but oh well_, Kat thought. "Also Lord Aragorn would like to see you sometime today. He will meet you on the stone bridge that crosses the river, the one under the willow tree. He says that you should be able to find it relatively easily."

_Hmmm... So I suppose there's something there... no, Kaitlyn Marie what did you say? Lay off the boys! No boys allowed right now. None. Might as well go. Nothing else to do besides awkwardly walking around getting lost. _"Thanks Manwathiel. You really are the best."

"Thank you, miss. Are you alright with dressing? I have other duties to attend to."

"Yes, yes of course. I'm fine. This is normal stuff for me. Thanks a bunch!" She replied cheerily. Manwathiel turned and walked out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her. Before she had done so Kat glimpsed the eager eyes of several elven men outside her door. _Not even here for a full day and already they come flocking to my side._ She shook her head. _Men, I swear. All the same, elf or human_. She pulled on the clothes Manwathiel had brought and found that they fit perfectly. The boots fit as well and Kat stood, ready to face the day ahead. Before leaving she walked over to the window and looked out over the valley. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, calming herself. She opened her eyes and called forth a small flame that danced in the palm of her hand. She studied it for a moment, watching as the tongues of fire flickered and sputtered. She extinguished it with a breath and looked out one more time. _Let's do this._


	7. Time for business

**Hey everyone! I'm back! I know it's been a while but here's another chapter. A little longer this time and I'm trying to work on the next few so their also a little on the longer side. Hope you like it! R&R!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this one fate, this one doom." Here Elrond paused for a moment and looked at Frodo, another one of the hobbits from the Shire. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." The small creature hesitantly got up and slowly walked to the pedestal in the middle of the arc of chairs in the circular courtyard. He reached inside his vest and pulled out a small glittering chain and at the end of it was a golden ring.

Kat looked around once again, marveling that a small town girl from Montana could be sitting among the royalty of this place. She was also the only girl there which didn't surprise her at all. _Still stuck back in the times of no woman's rights I see. _She sat at the far end, next to Gandalf. On his left was an empty seat, recently vacated by Frodo who had turned and started walking back. His shaky steps showed fear? Or possibly just anxiety like she faced. Next to Frodo sat Legolas who kept looking over and staring at Kat. _I really wish he would stop doing that. Way to make me feel welcome guys. Not like you don't know me already. I seem to remember dancing with you just last night. What are you even looking at... Oh hell no dude. My face is up here thank you very much._ She pulled her shirt up and stuck her tongue out at Legolas, who quickly returned his wandering eyes to the pedestal where the ring rested. Gandalf had seen this and nudged her arm. "None of that now, Lady Kat," he whispered. Legolas sat with other elves, and next to them a group of dwarves who kept clutching their heads and some had bruises. Kat recognized the signs of a hangover. She chuckled a little at this. After them, on the far side of the arc, sat a group of men, and all the way on the end sat Aragorn, who kept making eye contact with her and smiling. _Boy, can you just focus on this instead of me?_

Mutters and whispers echoed in the courtyard. The Ring apparently had some value, or power or something. _What is the big deal? It's just a ring. Why is it that important? _Across the semi-circle a man, Boromir, son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor, as he had been introduced by Gandalf, leaned forward and spoke loud enough to be heard, "So the rumors are true." Then he stood and turned to everyone. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use the Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

The silence his fiery outburst had caused was soon interupted by Aragorn who jumped out of his seat faster than anyone could have seen and almost yelled "You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master!"

Boromir turned dramatically to directly face the standing Aragorn, whose fists were clenched tight. He spoke again, condescendingly almost "And what would a mere ranger know of this matter?" _He's not just a ranger though!_ Kat thought back to the previous night. _He's like me! From Earth! And he got adopted by that other dude, oh what's-his-face, Arathorn! He's the heir to Gondor! Aragorn you idiot say something! Defend yourself!_ Kat's rage grew and she felt her palms getting hot. _No, no, no not now! Calm, breathe. I can't explode now. Everyone has enough to worry about._

Before she could say a thing Legolas joined the two standing men. "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn,son of Arathorn. And you owe him your allegiance." _Oh yeah, suck on that Boromir. How do you like that?_

Boromir's eyes widened and he turned again to Aragorn. "Aragorn? This is... Isildur's heir?"

Legolas again spoke. "And heir to the throne of Gondor." _Thank you Legolas! As much of a creep you're kinda starting to be, you know exactly how to put that bastard back in his place._

At this Aragorn started looking slightly uneasy, since half of the eyes in the courtyard grew wide at this news. He quietly spoke to Legolas. "Havo dad, Legolas" **(Sit down, Legolas). **Legolas did so but watched carefully as Aragorn's hand crept towards one of the hunting knives on his belt.

Boromir looked resentfully at Aragorn. "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." _Hold on buddy. I think you mean Gondor needs a king but I want the power myself when daddy Denethor dies. _At this, Boromir sat indignantly and Aragorn relaxed, took his hand off of the hilt of his knife and sat down as well.

Gandalf spoke to the council now, still seated. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Elrond came once again to the center and backed him up. "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." _Ok so that's easy. Why'd we have to come here? Just take a hot iron to it and melt it or something. Not that big of a deal people. _

Obviously a dwarf had the same ideas as Kat because he got up, grabbed an axe almost the same size as him, and said, "Then what are we waiting for?". He charged the pedestal swinging his axe, screaming a battle cry. He swung his axe down at the pedestal and, almost as if there was a force field around the Ring, he was repelled and fell back several feet. His axe lay in shards around the pedestal and the Ring sat unharmed. Whispers came from it in a strange language and everyone looked at it in a strange combination of reverence and fear.

Elrond, who had jumped back as the dwarf attacked, came forward once again and looked at the stunned dwarf who was regaining his feet. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Here he paused and looked around. "One of you must do this."

Boromir spoke again, shaking his head. "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is every watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly." _Ok maybe it is... Just a bit... They're all crazy. How is this ring that evil? I mean, it's a ring. It can't really do anything. So it has some weird force field that protects it from harm. So what? That doesn't mean its going to go and kill everyone. _

At this Legolas jumped to his feet. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

The dwarf that tried to destroy the ring, Gimli also stood. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?"

More people started to rise. "And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir said. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli continued. "Never trust an elf!" Arguments between everyone continued. Kat and Frodo were the only ones still seated and looked at each other in bewilderment that all of these people who had come together to save their world were arguing with each other like a bunch of children. Gandalf even joined in the squabble asking "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows? None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"

Frodo looked forward, took a deep breath and stood. "I will take it! I will take it!" He struggled to be heard over everyone else. Finally Kat stood and shot a pillar of bright flame into the air. "Oy you! Stop fighting like a bunch of kids and listen to him!" Everyone stopped instantly and stared at her. Gandalf looked down and shook his head. Frodo looked at her in wonder then got back to the task at hand. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though... I do not know the way."

Kat got down on one knee next to him so they were on eye level. "Hey Frodo. I've only been here for a day but I'll go with you. No matter what. And you know what? I don't know the way either." She smiled and he laughed a little.

An elf standing next to Legolas exclaimed "You? A female? Why you could not deal with this! My Lord Elrond do not permit this! She shall be a distraction, that is all. By sending her you doom this mission."

Kat walked calmly towards the elf and stood right in front of him. He took a step back but Kat just took another one forward. "Listen buddy. Did you see what I did a few minutes ago? Do you think I'm incapable? I can fight. I can use a bow. Probably better than you, elf-boy. So if you have a problem with me, tell me about it. Don't go running to Elrond like a coward. Grow a pair and face me yourself." _I can fight? Where did that come from? And I can use a bow? How?_ More memories rushed back. A karate dojo came into focus and she saw a man almost twice her size lying on the ground in front of her, his bowstaff a few inches away from his hand. That vision faded and another one came into focus. She pulled an arrow from behind her back, slung it onto the bow in front of her, and pulled back the string all in one smooth motion taking mere seconds. The arrow hit the dead center of a target over 100 meters away. _OK good so I wasn't just bluffing. Phew. _"So. Is there anything you'd like to say now?" Kat asked this while smiling sweetly, making the comment seem even more threatening. "N-N-No... Lady Kat." The elf stuttered. "Good. I rather hoped not." She turned and then suddenly whirled around and punched the elf in the face, sending him staggering back. "Anyone else question my capabilities?" She looked around. Every face looked back at her astonished, including Elrond's. She sat back down. _Who says girls don't have power? _

The silence was again broken and the focus left Kat and went back to the more important matter of Frodo. This time it was Gandalf to speak. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." He put his hand on his shoulders and smiled at him.

Aragorn stood and walked across the circle. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

Legolas stood as well "And you have my bow."

"And my axe." A gravely voice coming from Gimli surprised them all.

Boromir hesitantly came over. He knelt next to Frodo and spoke gently to the little hobbit. "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

The solemn moment was ruined as the bushes rustled and another small creature sprinted over to stand next to Frodo. It was Sam, a close friend of Frodo's. "Hey! Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

Elrond smirked and held back a chuckle. "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he I summoned to a secret council and you are not."

Suddenly two more figures that Kat identified as Pippin and Merry jumped out from behind the pillars and ran to the middle of the circle now forming around Frodo. "Wait, we're coming too!" Merry spoke first. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Pippin continued the thought saying "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing." Merry shook his head and looked at Pippin. "Well that rules you out Pip". Kat laughed at this, the only one to do so.

"Ten companions..." Mused Elrond. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin spoke, and all the hobbits and Kat laughed.


	8. Aragorn's story

Hey y'all! Guess what! I'm back! I apologize to all of you who have been waiting almost a year for this chapter. I've had an interesting year and wasn't actually going to continue this but hey, I changed my mind. Yay NaNoWriMo! As always R&R. I'm a little rusty since the last time I wrote.

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

As Kat walked from the courtyard, a wave of doubt washed over her. _What the hell did I just do? I can't go with them! I'm so new here and already I'm throwing myself into some strange quest? I must be mental. Bloody hell. _She quickened her pace and people in her path moved quickly away, looking at her in fear and wonder. Word had already spread of her fiery display, though it had not even been half an hour. She wandered through the city for some time. She did not stop moving but stalked the leafy corridors and sunlit courtyards. After some time she realized that it was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set over the edge of the valley. She stopped on a stone bridge under a willow tree at the bottom of the valley and stood watching it. The pale pink and creamy orange surrounded the haven, giving the place a glow that hinted at its mystical qualities.

"So I see you came" A voice called from behind her. She turned and saw a tall man walking towards her, his face in shadows. He came into the light of the setting sun and Kat saw the friendly face of Aragorn, his mouth set in a half smile, his eyes glowing in the light. _Right, I was supposed to meet him at the bridge with the willow tree…. Then why is he here?_ She looked around and saw what she was standing on and the willow tree whose branches hung down around her. _Right…_

"Aragorn" She replied, her voice emotionless. "Sorry I didn't come earlier. I was…"

"No need to explain, mi'lady. You had an interesting morning. I cannot blame you for losing yourself in this place." He gestured to the city above them. "It is quite magical."

"How long have you been here?"

"Only since noon. I…"

"No I meant here as in this place. Middle Earth or whatever it's called."

"Ahh. I see. Right into the questions. Fair enough, I cannot judge. I was once like you, innocent to this place, though I suppose Elrond told you this." Kat nodded. "Come, let us walk." He offered his arm which Kat graciously took. They wandered up a stone path.

"I've been here almost 45 years. I got here when I was 22. As you can see time has been kind to me." Kat started at this, clear evidence of Elrond's claims of age slowing down as this man before her who appeared to be no older than 30 was apparently 67. "I was from South Dakota back in the day. I joined the army when I was 17 and was deployed to Vietnam on my 22nd birthday. From what I can remember things didn't go well there for me." He had a grim smile on his face. "You can guess what happened since I'm here. Next thing I remember, I was waking up in a clearing in the woods. An elven scout found me and brought me here. Elrond took me in and I lived here in the city for several years. A man came here and took a liking to me. Little did I know that it was Arathorn. He took me in and gave me a new name. Something a bit less conspicuous than Michael anyways. You may want to do the same. It helps attract less attention and the last thing we need on this quest is attention" He paused. "Why did you volunteer for the journey anyways? I was quite intrigued with your display at the council. Also thank you for putting Melcinítan in his place. I've wanted to sock him in the face myself for years."

Kat looked at him and sighed. "I don't know why I'm going. I don't even know why I'm here. And you're very welcome. It felt good. Although I did kinda make myself a little conspicuous there didn't I?"

"Ahh well maybe… just a bit… perhaps… That's why I'm so thankful my ability isn't very noticeable." Kat looked at him questioningly. "Oh right. I believe I demonstrated slightly last night. I can read minds. Only at close range though. Nothing more than three meters or so."

"So you can read mine right now?" Kat became slightly worried at this. She liked her privacy.

"Oh no. I'm not trying. I respect you enough for that." He smiled. "I find you a curious case. We haven't had anyone new here since I came."

They had reached the highest point in the city by then and the twilight was fading into night. The stars peeked out from behind small wisps of clouds. An arbor covered with ivy stood near a balcony. The pair ambled over to it and sat. A small breeze rustled the leaves above them and Kat shivered. Her light clothing offered little protection from the wind. She hunched her back and summoned a small orb of fire in her cupped hands. Aragorn leaned over and held his hands over hers, taking advantage of this small warmth.

"Ahh damn these elves and their constant need to be outside. There's not a warm room around here."

Kat smiled at this. _Wow he really is just like me. To think he still remembers things from before here. I guess he's my new friend then. Finally something in common with someone here._

"Having trouble making friends then are we?"

Kat looked at him reproachfully. "I thought you weren't looking in there." She gestured to her head.

"Ah I couldn't resist. You were being quiet."

"Fair enough. And yes I am. I'm different. This guy last night, I think his name was Legolas and he's an elf I think. He treated me like, I don't know. Like I was diseased or something. I mean people like me… I mean like us… what's wrong with us?"

Aragorn looked at her with a look filled with pity. "I cannot answer that Kat. There are so few of us and so many of them. Right now for you it is because of your innocence to the way of life here. It was like that for me too. Eventually people just got used to me and forgot how I got here and started focusing on who I was instead."

"And who are you? Elrond said something about Arathorn making you his heir or something. What does that mean?"

He sighed and looked out into the distant sky. A shooting star soared across the horizon. His eyes followed it and he paused before answering her. "It means that I am heir to a destiny, a throne. The throne of Gondor to be specific. That means little to you now but let me show you something." He stood and helped Kat to her feet. He began walking down a twisting path that she had not seen before. Kat followed hesitantly. _Where the hell is he taking me? This is getting really sketchy…_ After several minutes of silence he stopped in front of a statue.

A cloaked figure with arms outreached stood above an altar. On it laid a purple velvet cloth with golden silk tassels on the edges. On top of this were several shattered pieces of steel, shimmering under the moonlight from a skylight in the ceiling. They were arranged neatly but Kat did not understand their significance. Aragorn obviously saw her confusion as he began to speak.

"These are the shards of Narsil, sword of Elendil. Long ago there was a battle. A struggle for power to rule Middle Earth. Rings were forged and given to each of the leaders of each race for they held the power to rule. Three to the elves, seven to the dwarves, and nine to men. But the Dark Lord Sauron forged a master ring to rule over them all. Men and elves joined forces to fight the Dark Lord at the base of Mount Doom, where Sauron had forged the ring. In the battle Isildur's father, the king of Gondor fell and this sword was broken by Sauron. Isildur took the sword and cut off the ring finger of the Dark Lord and ended the struggle." Here he paused causing Kat to react.

"Well, all that is good and well but what does it have to do with you?" Kat placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder.

"I'm getting there. After this Isildur took this master ring and had the chance to destroy it but failed because of the temptation to have ultimate power. Because of him the Ring still lives on. It is the same Ring that you saw today at the council. Now Arathorn was his heir and I am his. Therefore this burden is mine to bear. The day I became heir to Arathorn I became heir to this curse. I turned from the path of king long ago and Gondor is ruled over by the Steward now." His head slumped down and he turned away from the altar.

Kat reached up and pushed the hair back from his face. She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "It's not your fault. You aren't Isildur. You aren't even related. You can't blame yourself."

He shifted his gaze. "Oh Kat… After being here for so long and with the way that I have been acclimatized to this place I believe it is. Isildur's error was that he was human. I am as human as it gets. So even by going on this mission I feel like I might make a mistake, that I might succumb to the Ring's power. But I must because of who I am." He paused and looked back into her eyes. "You're such a curious creature Kat. I guess it's nice to be with someone like me. No one here has ever been much of a comfort and now you in your… ignorance to this place comes into my life and makes me feel this way… I don't know how to explain…" He leaned down closer to her face as if to kiss her but then stopped and pulled back. He cleared his throat loudly. "I'm sorry. It's late. I shouldn't have kept you. Here let me take you back to your room."

Kat did not protest as he led her back to her room but her mind raced with thoughts. Oh I hope he's not listening now.

If he was he didn't say anything until the pair reached her room. There he bowed and bid her goodnight and left without another word. Kat closed her door and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She didn't know what to think. She took off her boots and walked over the couch she had been slept on the night before. There she collapsed and laid there staring at the stars above. After some time of racing thoughts, exhaustion finally took over and she drifted into sleep.


End file.
